The Dynast
by Ikonopeiston
Summary: AU Chapter Seven This is the final chapter of this novella. Explanations are made and the story is concluded.
1. Chapter 1

12/8/06

The major characters and the settings are the sole property of Square Enix. The journey on which I am taking these characters is mine alone and no one else should be faulted for what I do and write.

**The Dynast**

Nooj had never thought he would found a dynasty. His inclination to seek and find an early death would have seemed to preclude such an ambition had he ever imagine it. Yet with the older boy almost nine and the twins turning four, he seemed to be accomplishing that feat in spite of himself. The fact that Paine was pregnant again made the idea nearly a fait accompli.

He and Paine had gone to great efforts to prevent their progeny from being treated like princelings at the establishment in Bevelle. It had not been easy; there were too many people with too little to occupy them in that temple fortress with its miles of secret corridors and unexplored dungeons. The ever present danger of the children losing their way in those hidden labyrinths had necessitated a skein of watchful eyes to form a secure network around them and that had created a psychologically risky environment. Now that Spira was finally calm enough for Nooj to relinquish most of the controls to a recently elected council, he had moved his family to the Mushroom Rock Road. Surrounding himself there with those who shared his fascination with history, he was compiling a series of volumes on Spiran civilization for the use of other scholars and researchers. With his future thus mapped out, he was also finally establishing something resembling a normal life. He was therefore at leisure to worry about things he would once have dismissed.

Paine, also, had not contemplated so large a family. As she observed her steadily more pear-shaped body, she was increasingly aware of other changes in herself. She had been appalled two days ago to discover herself behaving acutely out of character.

She was sitting on the edge of the bed watching Nooj pull his robe over his head before joining her. Suddenly the sight of the old whip marks on his back overwhelmed her.

"Beloved, how could you bear that? I can't stand to see how you were hurt." She leapt from her position to wrap her arms around him and water his scarred back with her tears.

Nooj, his head enveloped in the folds of his cassock, struggled to keep his balance. "What in the name of every aeon on Spira are you talking about?"

"Your poor back. Why did you let them do that to you? Didn't you have enough scars?"

"What are you talking about?" he repeated. "Just let me get out of this thing and maybe I can figure out what you mean." He fended her off long enough to drop the robe on the floor and catch her wrists in his hands. "Now, what's wrong with you?"

"Your back. All those marks. You were just a boy. Why did you let them beat you like that?" She was sobbing convulsively.

"Paine! Stop this right now!" He shook her with a certain amount of impatience. "You've seen those scars a hundred times, a thousand times. They were put there before I met you and I deserved them. Now, stop this. You know why I got them. You've heard the story. Now, hush." He swept her feet from under her and dropped her on the bed.

Sitting down beside her, he drew her head over to his shoulder and pulled up her gown. "Look here - you have the little marks on your belly from the other two pregnancies. We both carry some traces of our past years. My back and your belly are just signs we've lived in the real world. No different." He tenderly stroked her abdomen, attempting to soothe her.

Instead, she had cried harder and held to him as though he was the only refuge from a violent storm. It was a long time before she was able to stop her weeping and hiccough her way to sleep.

The next day she had been her usual self again and when Nooj mentioned her behaviour, briskly changed the subject. Then in the afternoon, she had found herself consumed with anger and burst into the library, banging doors and stamping her booted feet, shouting that this was the very last child she intended to bear no matter what he wanted. This kaleidoscope of feeling bewildered her as much as her mate. Remembering these incidents, she blushed and tried to think why she was behaving so strangely. Neither of her other pregnancies had made her turn into a hysterical, overly emotional blob. She had heard of homone storms but had thought them to be myths or excuses for lack of self-control. Now she wondered and was determined to discuss the matter with Nooj that very night.

The evening ritual was a time-consuming one. Leaving Nooj to hone his skills at bonding with Jarl, the older boy, over a game of kext, Paine saw to the bathing of the twins and their tucking in. While these moments were precious and important to the entire family, they did take time and could not be hurried. Paine would have felt deprived to miss the chance to kiss the damp, fragrant faces of Avtor and Aliela and feel their chubby star-shaped hands against her cheeks before she drew the covers up to their shoulders. She stood over them for a few more minutes, reflecting that time did not play fair where children were concerned. They grew up too fast. Jarl was already insisting on being treated as more than a child and the twins would soon follow that path as well. She rested her hand on her abdomen. At least she had another on the way to prolong the joy of discovery.

Returning from the nursery just as the game finished, Paine paused in the doorway to watch the two males with an indulgent eye. They were so much alike, both in appearance and in personality. Jarl was gaining height by the day and gave every impression of becoming a man as tall as his sire and with the same breadth of shoulder; he had copied Nooj in the grave courtesy with which he treated other people and often seemed older than he was, just as his father had. When the boy bowed to his mother and wished her a good night, she held herself back from hugging him as she longed to do and treated him with the respect befitting his growing maturity. The years had gone by so quickly and there was so much she had learned in those years, she mused as she linked hands with Nooj and they finally headed toward their own rooms.

After pulling on the scarlet cassock he used as a houserobe, Nooj drew Paine down with him in the large chair near the window, a favoured place for serious discussions. It had served that purpose since before Jarl was conceived and had become a symbol of their mutual commitment.

"Paine, love," he started as he settled her snugly in his lap and rubbed his chin against her head. "Do you really want to go through with this new baby? It seems very hard on you this time and we have what most people would think of as enough family already. Damn, that boy's going to beat me at kext one of these days."

Paine wriggled, making the minor adjustments to accommodate his prostheses, movements which had become automatic over time, and laughed against his chest. "Do you think after five months, I can just decide to resorb this child of ours? It doesn't work that way, sweet idiot. We passed the choice time long ago and anyway I do want this baby and any others we care to produce. This isn't something that just happened when we weren't looking. We knew what we were doing, at least I did. You do understand that when we decide for me to stop taking the herbs and we keep on doing those things we both enjoy so much, this is the usual result, don't you?" There was a growing edge to her voice.

He kept his mouth shut, calculating correctly that there was not a thing he could say which would sound right at this precise moment. He just held her gently until he felt her muscles relax and sensed the storm blowing itself out.

Paine spread her hand on his chest and sighed. "Sorry, love. I don't mean to be so prickly. It's just ... We've done pretty well so far and it's just my body chemistry cutting up rough this time. It'll pass." She kissed him on the edge of his jaw and pressed even closer. "So Jarl is getting to be a real contender? How will it feel to be defeated by your replacement?"

"I don't want to talk about it." He grunted into her hair. "You sure? About the baby? I don't want you to suffer for my vanity. I never did. To tell the truth, I would still sacrifice everybody else on Spira, even our three children to spare you an instant's discomfort," he declaimed in extravagant tones.

"Now you're talking nonsense - but keep it up. It's like lotion on an overstretched belly." She rubbed the still modest swelling beneath her waist. "Tell me, Nooj, are you ever sorry you made the decision to live?"

He gave the question the attention it merited. "When I am holding you or looking at you or dreaming about you - no. You are still my anchor to life and you know it, you hussy." He slapped her lightly on her hip before placing his hand over hers on her stomach. "In four more months ... do you know what this one is going to be?"

"Yes, shall I tell you?"

"Not this time. But it would be nice to have an equal spread." He suddenly widened his eyes in alarm. "It's not another set of twins or triplets or anything like that, is it?"

Turning in his arms, Paine wrapped herself around him and chuckled. "Not bloody likely. Rest easy; it's just a singleton. But I thought you'd probably rather have another boy so you can build up your own personal corps of fighters."

"And what about females makes them ineligible? I have a faint memory of a slim, glorious woman who was one of the best Warriors I ever knew until she retired into a career of producing more Warriors. I wonder what happened to her."

She drew back and grinned widely. "You'll find out within another half year once she gets her figure back and can get back into real training." She struck forward like a serpent and seized his lips with hers, kissing him so deeply as to render them both breathless.

"That's another thing ... I keep having these sudden attacks of passion when I desire you more than ever. I thought motherhood was supposed to tame this sort of thing."

Nooj stroked the length of her body. "Ixion! I hope not. You are the most provocative woman I've ever known and there is not one day when I don't hunger for you." He parted her robe and lifted a breast. "Will you let me taste your milk again after?"

"Yes, I love that part. To feel you taking nourishment from me ..." She shivered and arched up to his touch. "There is so much pleasure ... more than I ever dreamed when we first came together. After ten years, we're still finding new ways to ..."

Instead of answering, he bent to the proffered nipple and continued his caresses. Her body was warm and responsive and she became increasingly excited until she slid from his lap and, taking his hand, drew him to the waiting bed.

"I think Aliela is going to be a scholar instead of a Warrior." She gasped as he moved over her.

Nooj did not pause in his actions. "That's for her to decide. We won't force her."

"Both the boys seems to be militarily inclined. - Don't stop!"

"We'll see how they turn out. You like this?" He continued doing interesting things.

"Yes, yes, yes. Don't stop!"

He thrust home smoothly and she clung to him as the world exploded around them in shards of colour and light.

When they lay, recovering their senses, he murmured into still vibrating air. "Do you want to have a commitment ceremony? Either before or after this new one is born?"

Startled, she turned to gaze into his eyes. "What! And spoil what we have going between us? What ever made you think of that?"

"I'm not sure. I think it might be I want to make sure I have a legal claim to you." Nooj muttered half under his breath.

"Maybe you could just brand me." She smiled. "You don't have to worry. I'm not going anywhere. After the effort I put into keeping you off the FarPlane, you think I'm going to let you get away now?"

He pulled her to him until the full length of their bodies was touching. "I have nightmares of losing you and ..."

With a deft movement, Paine flung back the covers and bent to take him in her hand. She noted he was beginning to harden again and slipped down in the bed. "I'm here and I'm staying."

Then there was only silence save for his soft moans of pleasure and the rustle of the sheets.

7


	2. Chapter 2

1/29/07

**The Dynast:**

**Chapter Two**

The next day, Nooj found himself thinking about the question Paine had asked. Was he glad he had stayed alive to this time, to see the births of their three children and the stabilization of that world for which he had been so willing to die? It was not so simple to answer with a single word, carrying as it did the full weight of his early life and the choices made then. To what degree had his continued existence played a part in whatever good had taken place on Spira and to what extent was he - an individual - irrelevant in the ongoing progress of the planet? He was restlessly shuffling the papers before him on his desk when his thoughts were interrupted by a piping voice.

"Father, are you busy?" Jarl stood in the doorway, one hand on the jamb, his body posed awkwardly between cockiness and hesitance.

"Not too busy for you. What's on your mind, my son?"

The child marched sturdily toward his parent, pausing with his hands clutching the chair arm on which the machina hand rested. Nooj noticed that the little boy smell was less pronounced that usual at this time of the morning and a moment's observation showed why. Jarl's hair was wet and wavering comb lines were evident in the strands. So the boy had given himself a wash and brush up before coming into the office. It was obvious he had done it himself since the back of the head did not demonstrate the same attention as the front. It must be a very important and serious matter in the child's mind to prompt such care in his appearance.

"Well, what can I do for you?" Nooj asked again.

"Father, sir, how old were you when you got your own room?" Jarl gazed up intently into his parent's eyes, his fingers tightening on the chair arm until all the knuckles turned white.

Nooj was taken aback. He had no idea how to answer the question because he had never thought about such things. His own childhood had been so chaotic that having his own room had never registered in his mind. Not yet ready to explain those long ago traumas, he decided to respond with a non-answer.

"That doesn't matter. It's your life that counts. Do you feel the need for some privacy?" He met the boy's look with total seriousness.

"Yes, sir. I really and truly believe I am now old enough to take care of myself. Well, more than I do. I would like to have my own room, maybe. And I could take my bath without help. I washed myself before I came to see you." He ducked his head as a painful blush flooded his face with a tide of scarlet. "I just wondered ..."

"You wanted to see what I thought? Is that it?"

Jarl nodded. "Yes, sir." He twisted his toe in the rug and watched his motions with the intensity of a scientist conducting a vital experiment.

Nooj forbade himself to smile. The boy's dignity was extraordinary in one so young. "I think we might give it a try. There's a small room a door down from the nursery. I can order a bed and dresser moved there for you and you can try sleeping there if you like. You won't mind using the same bathing room as the twins, will you?"

"No, sir. Just not at the same time, please. And by myself, please."

"That sounds reasonable. Very well, tonight we'll start the new program. Will you tell your mother or shall I let her know I approve?" Nooj was curious as to how Jarl would answer.

"Sir, I'll tell her. It was my idea and if she gets mad about it, I should take the blame." He stood up straight and sketched a salute. This was a habit he had begun during the past few months and Nooj was not sure why. Perhaps it was a reaction to the way many of the people at the compound greeted the former Captain or maybe it was Jarl's own attempt to find a way to express respect and admiration. After all, the lad bowed over his mother's hand and seemed to have a natural predilection toward formality.

"Thank you, sir." The boy walked sedately from the room. As he passed from sight, his footsteps changed from purposeful to scampering. Hearing the alteration, Nooj laughed silently. So the little boy was still a little boy in spite of all his posturings and awesome discipline.

His thoughts turned back to the question he had been pondering before the interruption. Moments like the one which had just passed were powerful arguments in favour of his choice to live. He would have regretted not seeing his own face reflected in the features of that miniature of himself. He had found it fascinating to watch the chubby, indeterminate button-face of a baby slowly and inexorably morph into a facsimile of the young Nooj he remembered seeing in the still water at his private place on Kilika. It would have been a pity to miss the flattering imitations of his own behaviour which Jarl was adopting, more every year. Still, he would not have known that they were so precious and were they worth the lingering feeling that he had betrayed his more legitimate self by abandoning his goal? And was it sufficient payback for the pain he tolerated each conscious minute? He shifted uneasily in his chair, hunting a position which was less onerous than the last.

Why had Paine brought the subject up again? It had been a long time since she had mentioned it. Did she see something in his behaviour or expression which made her wonder if he was re-thinking his decade old choice?

Nooj pushed back his chair, gripped his cane and rose. He was too restless to continue to sit at the desk. Standing at the tall window which looked out toward the sea far below, he flexed his left hand on the cane's handle. What did Jarl see when he observed his parent's artificial arm and leg? Was it just a part of his normal existence or did the precocious boy find the mechanical limbs disquieting, frightening? He remembered a recent conversation with Gippal ...

The Al Bhed raised his bright head from the delicate work he was doing on the machina wrist. "There, that should fix that. You won't get that scraping sound and that jerky movement any more. The plate there had worn and made a rough spot against its other half."

"Thank you, Gippal. I have come to rely on your good offices to keep me usuable." Nooj smiled tightly.

"You do know we've made a lot of improvements in these things since you were our guinea pig? Now we're able to use more durable and lighter materials and to wrap them in a synthetic skin which I bet you couldn't tell from what you grew yourself. If you want to come over to Djose for a week or so, I'll stick you up in a private room in the tower and we'll give you a total refit for free. Sort of repayment for all you taught us." Gippal turned a wheedling glance on his old friend. "How 'bout it?"

Nooj shook his head. "Not right now. I've got too much to do to spare the time for a vanity operation."

"Hey, man. It's not just vanity. You might be able to do without the cane with a new leg and your kids would like to see their dad look like all the other dads. Come on and let us do it."

"Maybe a little later. My children don't pay any attention to these things anymore. They might not recognize me without my clanks and squeaks. Speaking of offspring, how many do you have now and how are they faring?"

He had always been adroit at changing the subject.

Gippal grinned proudly. "I think it's every Spiran's duty to build up the population after all Sin did to tear it down. I've got five now, four boys and a girl. All active as a bunch of little fiends. The girl's turning out to be the best mechanic and driving the boys nuts. Rikku has her hands full, I can tell you. She's put her foot down; no more for at least another two years. Man, I'm gonna miss having a baby around the house."

"Nobody can say you're not doing your part." The taller man agreed. "To tell the truth, I never expected to have four myself. In fact, I never expected to have any."

"No. I didn't figure you for a father myself. Paine does good work, both with you and with the kids. That Jarl's going to be a clone of you, hopefully without the ... baggage."

"He's turning out to be very much like I was before all the disasters. I hope his life will be a more peaceful one."

"But I bet you're going to send him to military school anyway. Right?"

"If he shows any signs of wanting to go that way, yes. It's in his blood, after all. Well, shall we get down to those judgements we need to consider? I don't think that senior arbiter in Luca made the right call in the matter of the harbour fees. There ought to be some way to compensate the owners of the vessels ..."

With an inward sigh, Nooj turned back to his desk. He enjoyed his periodic visits with Gippal and wondered if the Al Bhed had been right about up-grading the limbs. Maybe he should consider it, for the sake of the children. If might be easier for them to have a father who was less of a freak.

He reached out for the papers he had chosen to deal with this morning. As he drew them toward him, he became aware of a dark shape moving in from his left side. He quickly turned to identify the source when he realized it was not an object or a shadow but was the smoke of a battlefield. He could smell the stench of burning flesh and materiel and was unsettled by the roughness underfoot. Looking downward, he saw that he was surrounded by the fallen bodies of both humans and beasts. That was what was making him stumble.

An urgency had taken control of his mind. He must find the thing he was looking for or all would be lost, all the sacrifice and struggle would have been for no reason at all. He pressed forward, disregarding the cries of the wounded, stepping on yielding flesh and nearly falling again and again. Had he not been in possession of both his legs, he would surely have lost his balance on the treacherous ground.

What was he seeking? He could not properly visualize it but was sure he would remember, the finding would tell him. Here and there hands reached up, silently imploring his help. He, driven by the mysterious goad, ignored them. Children, bleeding and weeping, pulled at his ankles. He dislodged them and kept moving forward. A woman with scarlet eyes mouthed unheard words. He did not notice. Then, he saw it - on the peak of the steepest hill - the figure he sought. It was indistinct, surrounded by a fog which grew ever darker even as he approached it. He fought his way up the increasingly punishing slope until he was nearly within arm's reach of the figure. Falling to his knees, he crawled the last few meters and grasped at the skirts of the form. She turned, palely smiling. The hand she extended penetrated effortlessly into his chest and squeezed. Darkness claimed him and he fell forward to the surface of the desk.

-X-

"So, you convinced your father that you're mature enough to have your own room? Why didn't you ask me?" Paine looked down into the radiant face of her first-born.

"I knew you'd tell me to ask him." Jarl proclaimed robustly, certain of his ground. "That's what you always do."

She laughed ruefully. "I guess I do send you to him most of the time. Well, since you have his permission, I won't object. You're growing up very quickly and your own room is not a bad idea." She reached a hand to ruffle his hair but drew back when she noted what care he had taken to comb at least the front part. "Let's go look at that room and see what needs to be moved out. Then we'll find a bed that'll fit in there for you. You'll need a desk and a dresser too."

Jarl strode beside her, attempting to match the length of his steps to hers. "I need to have some privacy because when I go away to school there won't be any and I want a little time to be by myself."

"You get more like your father every day. Are you sure you'lll want to go away to military school? You don't have to be a Warrior just because he is."

"I know that, ma'am. I know you're one too. That makes it sort of a family transition."

"Tradition." She automatically corrected him. "And that's not a good reason to choose a career. Give it some thought, my boy. You still have some time before you have to make a decision."

"Yes, ma'am. Can a mama be a Warrior?"

"No reason why not." Paine laughed. "When the new baby's born, I'll start you on your advanced sword work if you want me to."

"Will you really? I'd like that. Was Father as good as you back before he was hurt?"

"Better. Come along now. We need to get you set up for tonight." She spared a moment to reflect on how nearly perfect a life she had fallen into. The odd mood swings of the past week had passed as though they had never been and she was deeply, profoundly content to see the last of them. Lunch with Nooj would be as pleasant as it usually was. They could discuss with pride how Jarl was growing up, how mature he was for an eight year old and how well spoken. There was not a single doubt that the boy was going to be brilliant - just like his father, she beamed to herself. There was such a promising future ahead of them. Four children! All of them flawless! Who would have predicted this for them back in the old days when life was an unrelenting struggle. And Nooj seemed to be as content as she. Who would ever have imagined that? Then maybe after lunch, they could have a little lie-down, just to promote digestion.

7


	3. Chapter 3

2/2/07

**The Dynast**

**Chapter Three**

The room was dim with the curtains drawn and only one lamp glowing in the far corner. Paine sat in the straight, uncushioned chair, folded in upon herself like a dry-eyed Niobe, shivering uncontrollably in spite of the shawl she held clutched about her shoulders. She did not hear the soft murmur of discussion among the others clustered near the door, her attention being solely fixed on the long figure lying on the bed before her.

He was still and pale, the prosthetic left arm stretched out beside his body and his right hand placed across his chest. It was on that large, shapely right hand that Paine had fastened her eyes. From time to time she reached out to run a finger-tip down the length of it. Was it colder than the last time she had touched it? Was there motion from the rib cage upon which it rested? She was superstitiously afraid to touch his torso, to spread her own hand across his smooth chest as she had done so often in the past. It had comforted her to feel the steady thrum of his heart against her palm. Now she was terrified that she would detect nothing if she tried. She blinked back the sudden fog which smeared her vision and told herself not to be silly.

A sound and a scuffle from the direction of the door drew her notice. Jarl was pushing through the group of men who tried to stop him. "Mama! Tell them to let me in!"

Paine stretched out her arms. "Let him through. Come here, Jarl."

The boy straightened his wrinkled clothes and, giving an imperious glare to those around him, marched to his mother's side.

"What's happened, Mama? What's wrong with my Father?" His voice faltered as he looked at the man on the bed.

"Shh. Your father's sick but we're going to make him get better." She draped her arm over her son's thin shoulders and drew him closer to her side.

"But why won't he wake up?" Jarl's eyes were clouded with fear.

"We'll find out soon now. Don't worry. We're taking care of things." Paine could hear the doubt in her own words and did not try to pretend that Jarl did not hear it as well.

He stood for a while, staring at Nooj. Then leaning forward to place his slightly grubby hand on the pale, unmoving face, he took a deep breath and asked, "Have you sent for Uncle 'Lai?"

His mother almost laughed, remembering how her first action once she understood the gravity of the situation had been to send their lightest courier on their fastest chocobo to Bevelle to summon the Healer. Then, five minutes later, she had sent a hover to the same destination with the same message.

"Yes, darling. I've sent for Uncle 'Lai and Uncle Gippal, too. They should be here soon. Don't worry, we're doing everything we can." She longed to ask him if the face under his hand felt cold but dared not lest she frighten him even more. Instead she continued to take comfort from the sturdy little figure leaning against her. She wished he would climb into her lap like he used to but accepted his choice to remain standing. The pressure of his body against her side made her want to clutch him as tightly as she could and cry out her terror and grief into this warm proof of her love for the stricken man. In order to control her emotions, she forced her thoughts into more neutral territory. Distraction was her salvation.

Why had Jarl called her 'Mama' instead of the more formal terms he had lately begun to use? Was he, also, in need of the comforting relationship which they shared? Was it his way of telling her that it was all right to loosen the reins of self-control just a little? With irritation, she realized these thoughts were not helping.

"Jarl, will you do something for me?"

"Anything, mama. Do you want me to watch for Uncle Gippal and show him here to you?"

"Maybe a little later. Right now, Nanny is expecting me in the nursery to take the twins while she gets some rest. I need to stay here. Will you go tell her what has happened and do what she asks you to do? If you could help with the twins, it would take a big worry off my mind." Paine managed a watery smile.

"Of course, mama. I'm happy to do it. Have you had anything to eat? I could have the cook bring you a tray."

"Thank you, darling, but no. I don't want anything right now. I promise I'll get something in a little while. Oh, tell the sentry to send you word when Gippal comes. He'll want to see you right away and then you can bring him to me."

"I will do as you ask, mama." The boy bowed over his mother's hand and, to her surprise, planted a kiss on the finger-tips. "Don't be scared. Father will be all right. Uncle 'Lai is the best Healer in the world."

When Jarl had closed the door behind him, Paine dropped her face into her hands and permitted herself a brief moment to weep, then straightened her back, firmed her shoulders and resumed her watch.

-X-

Night had fallen and with it the hope of a quick resolution to the crisis. Paine and Gippal stood near the bed upon which the still unmoving Nooj lay and listened to Baralai who had just finished his examination.

"Tell me once more, my lady, what you saw when you went into the study. Give me every detail you can remember." The white haired Healer laid a gentle hand on her arm.

Paine drew her breath, paused to collect herself and spoke, "It was time for lunch and, after seeing the children started on their meal, I went by the office to meet Nooj for our own. He did not respond to my tap on the door, so I opened it and saw him at once. He was in his chair which his upper body lying across the desk. His spectacles were crushed and bent as though he had fallen on them and his eyes were closed. No blood, no fluids, he was just sprawled there, his right hand clutching at his chest and his left arm hanging toward the floor. I shook him and called out, but he did not move. I ... I wasn't sure he was breathing." She lost control of her voice and had to pause. "So I called for help and we carried him here and ... and ..."

Baralai patted her. "OK. That's enough. There was no sign of struggling? His legs weren't twisted? No? OK. Here's what I think. I can find no sign of a heart attack. That was my first thought but now I consider that unlikely. Something else has happened and I have only a few hints in the back of my mind. I need to have him conscious so I can ask him some questions before I say any more because I could easily be wrong." He looked at his two old friends. "I'm going to do some things which may look cruel and may upset you but I have to wake him up. Paine, why don't you go next door for a few minutes? I'll call you when it's over."

"That won't be necessary." It was little more than a croaking whisper. The three spun about as one to see Nooj had turned his head and opened his eyes. "I'm awake and want to know what all this is about."

Paine flung herself down on her knees beside the bed. "Nooj! You're back!" She spread her hand out on his chest and felt the familiar pulsation of his heart beneath her palm. "What happened? Are you all right?"

"I can't answer the first question. As to the second, I'm all right. Don't be upset." The sound from his lips was still thready and weak. "Baralai, Gippal, what are you doing here?"

Baralai, without betraying the slightest surprise, bent over his patient. "Be quiet and let me check some things. I'll explain in a minute." He ran a diagnostic hand down the length of the body, paying particular attention to the head and chest areas. "Well, everything seems to be in working order and I can't spot any anomalies but I still want to run a more detailed analysis in the morning. I'll ask my questions then."

"No. You may be able to wait but I want some answers now. What happened to me and why am I so exhausted?" Nooj tried to push himself up and failed.

Paine and Gippal hastened to pull him to a seated position on the bed, propping pillows behind his back while Baralai monitored his condition with a hand on his head.

"All right, then. Let's start." The Healer settled himself on the chair nearest the bed and tucked his hands into his full sleeves. "Tell me what you were doing when you last remember."

Nooj closed his eyes and furrowed his brow. "I was reaching for some papers about the history of Vegnagun and then I was here, listening to you try to send Paine away. Jarl had been in earlier and we had talked. That's all. Oh yes, Gippal, I was thinking about your last visit and about the new prostheses."

Gippal, standing behind Paine with his arms folded across his chest, nodded with a wry grin. "The offer still holds. Whenever you're ready."

"You were just reaching for the papers and that's all?" Baralai had his nose on the trail and would not be distracted. "Did you hear or smell anything odd or see anything that disturbed you? Have any other strange things happened to you or any of your family lately? Paine, that's meant for you too."

Paine searched her memory. "The only thing the least bit off is that I've had some hormone surges." She blushed and laid her hand against her belly. "I never had them with the other babies but ..."

"What kind of surges?"

"Oh, you know. Mood swings. Fits of temper, even some crying spells. The usual."

Baralai drew a small book from his sleeve and jotted down a few notes in a script which looked more like drawing than writing. "Nooj? Can you think of anything else? How about the kids? Have they acted oddly recently?"

"With Jarl, who can tell?" Paine murmured ruefully. "No, aside from his usual wild oscillations from old man to little boy, he's been normal. And the twins are still talking to each other in a private language but they've been doing that since they learned to make coherent sounds. No, that's it."

"Have the hormone storms stopped?" He held his stylus poised. A hideous thought was beginning to take precedence in his mind. He found it nearly improbable but was compelled to consider it.

"Yes, just recently. I was thinking today how glad I was to be rid of them." Her voice cracked a little at the memory.

Nooj, his brow furrowed, broke in. "As I was reaching for the papers, I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye. It looked like a dark shadow. I was turning to see what it was when ..."

Baralai leaned over to his friend and thumbed back first one eyelid then the other, staring intently into the organs thus revealed. "All right. I have enough now. Nooj, I don't know exactly what happened to you but I have some suspicions. I'll have to do some more checking before I say anything definite. I need to consult with some other people. Will you trust me? I'll lay it out in detail when I'm more certain."

"I trust you. I would be a fool not to after all this time. You know me better than any other Healer and you have never been one to lie. One question ... Will this happen again?" Nooj looked deeply into the face of his friend.

"I can't promise it won't. I don't think it's likely but I can't be sure. It would be better if you were not completely alone for long periods of time and if it does happen again, send for me immediately." The last was addressed to Paine. "Now, everybody get some rest. It's been a long difficult day."

"I'll show you and Gippal to your rooms," Paine said lightly.

"No need." Gippal hugged her. "I know my way around this compound and I'll shepherd 'Lai to his quarters. Go on and sleep in tomorrow; I'll take care of Jarl and the twins. I'm an old hand at herding kids, having five of my own." He grinned disarmingly.

"Five! I'd lost count. You busy swirley-eyed goat!" Paine laughed a little hysterically. "We may take you up on that offer to sleep in. I admit, I'm tired."

"I have to make up for this slacker here." Gippal clapped Baralai on the back. "He's not doing his part in the family thing. And get up when you feel like it. I'm look forward to visiting with Jarl and teaching him how to take machina apart like an Al Bhed. Better watch your leg, Nooj."

Baralai, ignoring the byplay, did a final examination of his patient, pronounced himself satisfied and accompanied Gippal from the room, closing the door firmly behind them.

Paine began removing her clothes and walked over to the bathing room. "Will you be all right while I have a quick shower?"

"Of course. Take your time." He shifted against the pillows, relieved to be able to move more easily.

When she returned, fragrant with soap and the citrusy cologne she used, he had slid to the far side of the bed and was turned to face her. With a sigh of relief she slipped under the covers he raised in welcome and folded herself against his body, drawing comfort from his presence.

He drew her closer still. "Paine, I don't understand what happened."

"We'll sort it out; just don't leave me." She breathed into the curve of his throat.

"Not while I have the ability to stay," he responded. They clung to one another like travelers lost in a threatening forest until finally sleep, the sleep of exhaustion, crept up and brought them oblivion.

-X-

Baralai stretched wearily. It had been a long day. Even with the use of the Celsius, the journey from Bevelle had been tiring. From the east window he could see the faint glow on the horizon which told him morning was not far away. However, he had a few things to do before he could permit himself to sleep.

He sat down at the dressing table and drew out his notebook. After a few minutes concentration, he began writing and had soon filled several pages with the arcane script he used for his private records. Yes, these were the ones he needed to consult. He ran his finger down the annotated list, whispering the names aloud to himself. Who to see first? He closed his eyes and thought. Then with a firm nod of his head, he decided. Lulu. That was the one he must enlist to begin with. And maybe a word or two with Wakka would not come amiss. He made another note in the margin, then, his plans set, he unbuttoned his stiff coat and cast a longing glance toward the welcoming bed.

8


	4. Chapter 4

2/7/07

**The Dynast**

**Chapter Four**

It was late morning before the two awoke. The sun was pouring through the window like melted butter, brightening the corners and and warming the air. Paine stirred lazily, rubbing her head like a cat on the smooth flesh which pillowed her, soothed by the steady beat of the strong heart against her cheek and her ear.

"Um... you awake?" she purred.

In response, the arm holding her tightened. "I'm awake. What time is it?"

"Who cares? We've got a baby-sitter and no hurry to get up unless you're hungry."

He nuzzled the crown of her head and blew into her spiky hair. "Not for food."

Their love-making was slow and gentle, a tender coming together and reassuring that all was well. They touched one another with a sense of wonderment, renewing a bond which had been so nearly lost, whispering fragemented pledges of love and commitment. Afterwards, they lay, loosely embraced, taking joy in the knowledge they were still each a part of the other.

"I can see why you sent for Baralai, but why Gippal?" Nooj finally asked, stroking her side.

"When trouble strikes, my first instinct is to yell for Gippal." She grinned up at him, placing her palm against his face. "He always has ideas of how to fix things. Sometimes they even work. Besides Jarl likes him and ... oh, Nooj! I don't know why. I just did." She ducked her head under his chin.

"I was just curious. I'm sorry I frightened you. Now that I think about it, I'm convinced it was nothing but over-work. Things have been a bit hectic lately. Let's take a few days off and go down to the Moonflow with the children and visit the carnival, maybe take in a show. We can spare the time and it'll be good to relax and catch up with our lives."

"OK. Let's check with 'Lai and see if he thinks it will be a good idea."

"Dammit! I'm not going to spend the rest of my life scared of another thing like yesterday! It was a one-time event and I am not a coward." He pushed himself up on his good elbow, dumping her on the mattress.

"Of course you're not. Nobody ever accused you of that." Paine wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him back to her side. "We'll go next week, as soon as I can make arrangements." She privately resolved to have a quiet word with Baralai before he left.

-X-

After a boisterous lunch, served in the nursery so that all could attend, Gippal and Baralai prepared to take their leave. Jarl, still a little unsettled by the events of the day before, stuck to Gippal like a limpet and was unaccustomedly silent.

"OK, lad. It's all set. You get to come to Djose in a couple of months and can teach my lads how to fence. And get beat up on by my lass." Gippal shook hands with the boy in a properly adult manner.

"Thank you, Uncle Gippal. I'm looking forward to it. Is Myrma really that tough?" He turned to extend a hand to Baralai. "Uncle 'Lai, I really appreciate your coming so quickly to help my father."

The Healer dipped his white head. "It was my honour, young Jarl."

Leaving the twins to be tucked in for their afternoon nap, the others preceeded to the area in front of the compound. The Celsius had left but there were two hovercraft with drivers waiting.

Paine hugged her friends in turn. "You'll never realize how much it meant for to me to have you here. With friends like you, I am never alone. Give my love to Rikku, Gippal. Baralai, you can keep my gratitude and affection all for yourself."

"You feeling all right today?" Baralai asked Nooj. "No odd after-effects?"

"Not that I'm aware of. I feel much stronger than last night. Thank you for your concern. When do you think you'll have some answers?"

"Don't know. I'm going to start on my investigations right away and will be back when I'm surer of my diagnosis. Send for me if you need me. The Temple will always know where I am." He threw his bag over his shoulder and climbed onto the nearer hovercraft.

Gippal, never one to hold back, wrapped both arms around the taller man's body and pulled him down into a warm embrace. "Don't scare me like that again, Noojster. We've all been together too long to break up just when life is looking good. Be careful."

Touched in spite of himself, Nooj pounded the Al Bhed on the back. "I think I'm good for a few more years yet. Got to try to catch up with you."

"Forget it!" Paine said flatly, belying the twisted grin on her face. "Rikku may be willing to rear a blitz team but I'm not. Have a safe trip, boys."

As the vehicles moved rapidly off into the distance, Paine and Nooj stood watching them with varied emotions. Paine shook off the feeling of loss, determined to forget the past day.

"So, Jarl, you're going to have a chance to bully your cousins, eh?" She tweaked her son's ear, fondly.

"They're not my real cousins,ma'am, and I'm not a bully ... I don't think. I try not to be."

Nooj laughed. "They'll have to do as cousins since no real ones are possible and you may not be a bully but you do like to have your own way."

"Thank you, Father. I try to be a leader, like you." Jarl slipped his hand into that of his father and looked up from under his brows. The hint of tears glistened in his eyes.

Nooj bent down to the boy's level. "Don't worry, Jarl. I'm all right now and 'Lai's going to make sure I stay that way. You don't have to be concerned. It was just something that happened and now it's over. Let's go back inside and get back to normal."

-X-

Once back in Bevelle, Baralai immediately began making preparations for his mission. He had hoped to find the Celsius docked there but since it was not available, he ordered a fast hovercraft to be held for his use.

Factoring in transportation needs, he mulled over his schedule. First to Besaid Island and a conference with Lulu. If Yuna was in residence when he arrived, he might talk to her next and save an extra trip. Then he was off to Kilika and Donna. She was often away on excursions with Barthelmo so it would probably be worth while to send her a message asking for an appointment. With a sigh, he took off his traveling coat and sat down at his desk to compose the necessary epistles. How to phrase his requests without sounding like an alarmist? With a rueful grin, he realized all his consultants were female and wondered if his motives might not seem suspect.

-X-

Jarl wandered back to his new room. His first night's sleep there had been troubled and, at intervals, he had wished himself back in the comforting presence of nanny and the twins. However, he made himself consider it a time of testing and eventually managed to drop off to a sleep peopled with nightmares and sudden awakenings. For the first time in more than a year, he considered an afternoon nap with favour. His father seemed himself again and it was true that odd things did happen to grown-ups. With a decisive nod, he ordered himself to stop worrying and get some sleep.

-X-

Paine strode alongside Nooj to his office. "I don't care what you say, I'm coming with you this time. No, I won't trail you forever but, just for today, I'm not letting you out of my sight." Her tone was flat, brooking no argument.

He snorted. "All right! Just for today. How are you going to occupy yourself while I'm tending to paperwork?"

"I'll find something to do. Maybe sleep. After all, you were unconscious and resting most of yesterday while I was worrying myself sick."

"You didn't have to carry on like that. You should have waited for me to wake up. I still don't see why you summoned Gippal."

She punched him in the arm and flinched because it was the left arm. "Don't start that again. You know damn' well why I did everything I did."

He opened the door and bowed her in. "Take the couch, my love. It's more comfortable for napping."

She marched through the opening and headed straight for the bookshelves, sparing not a glance for him although a self-satisfied smile tweaked her lips. Pulling a volume from the collection without even looking at the title she responded, "Don't worry about me. I can entertain myself. Just do what you were planning to do anyway and I'll catch up on some of my reading." With a dignified plop, she sat down on the end of the couch and curled up her legs as she opened the book.

Nooj grinned and limped to his desk where the papers, abandoned since his mysterious attack, waited. Within minutes he was absorbed in the details of the discovery of a cache of documents buried in the Thunder Plains. He was bent over his notebook, carefully transcribing the co-ordinates of the find so that he could send out a team to further investigate when he became aware of something moving just outside his range of vision. At once he jerked to attention. Was the same thing going to happen again? Carefully he turned his head to see a smoky shape waver just the other side of his focus and then disappear. He shook his head. He was imagining things. It was not like him to permit nerves to affect his mind like this.

Disturbed by what he perceived as a weakness, he pushed back the chair and stood, wobbling just a little before he caught his balance. Had Paine seen anything? It would be helpful if he had a witness to this phenomenon. But when he turned to the couch, he saw that she was asleep. The book had slipped from her hands and was wedged between her body and the back cushion and her head had drooped to the supporting leather arm. A gentle purr rose from her lips, a sort of lady-like snore. He smiled fondly and picked up the lap rug from the window seat and tenderly spread it over her, carefully turning back the fringe so that it would not tickle her face and wake her. Then he stood for a long time looking at his lover.

It was not in Nooj's nature to talk about his concerns in the public square. Early in life, he had cultivated the stoic philosophy in himself. However, the experience of the day before had shaken him in a vital way so that he was unable to dismiss the nagging sense of something gone very wrong. It had started with Paine wondering if he was content that he had abandoned his quest for Death. He had still not yet come to a proper answer to that question. This most recent reminder switched his thoughts back to that topic. As he gazed deeply into the sleeping face of the woman, he tried to find some acceptable justification for whatever answer he would make. There would have to be a reason that would satisfy him. For the first time he wondered if the seizure had been caused by his inability to balance his obligations to his growing family and the sense of self-betrayal which bedeviled him.

There was no doubt he had broken his sworn word by continuing to live and thus, by his Warriors' Code, dishonoured himself. Somewhere, in the depths of his being, he felt still the compulsion to find that Death which had lured him for most of his life. He had sworn another oath to Paine in a time of passion and danger when it seemed destruction waited no matter his wishes or intent. Which was the more valid? The one made in his early youth or the one given to the woman who was his soul? Which had moral precedence?

His head began to hurt and he seemed to be surrounded by clouds of darknesses. There was peril along this path and he could feel it coming ever nearer. Nooj could feel a great destructive hunger growing in him, a consuming passion wrapping him in its suffocating embrace. There was no purpose in his life, no goal worth pursuing, no reason to continue to breathe. He turned from side to side, hunting that which he could not find. It was as though the last decade had never been and the phantom of a tall dark woman dominant over the carnage of battle beckoned him to her arms. The image of Paine was blurred and he could not remember her name.

The miasma lifted suddenly and he reached out to the woman on the couch, wanting to call her to come rescue him again but he could not force himeself to do that. "I am a Warrior, not a man-child puling at his mother's skirt." He had a briefly realized image of a grave-faced boy standing between him and the woman. It was a child he felt he should know but the identity eluded him.

As the clouds closed in again, he turned shakily and headed for the glass doors which led into the garden outside. Fresh air would dispel this aura... Or there would be a means to his quietus away from the sanctuary of the study. He lifted the dagger he used a paper-knife from his desk and tucked the sharp-edged blade into his belt. Stumbling, leaning heavily on his cane, he grasped the doorknob; it rattled in his hand.

"Nooj, where are you going?" Paine had swung around on the couch, tossing the rug aside. "You won't escape from me that easily." She stepped up behind him and coiled her arms around his shoulders. "You're shaking. Are you all right? Nooj! What's happening? Answer me! Talk to me!" Fear sharpened her tone and her grip on him tightened. "Are you all right?"

He spun to face her and clutched her like a man being swept away by a cataclysmic torrent will cling to the only stable point within his reach. "Paine," he cried. "That's your name. Paine." His features distorted with fear and agony as he pulled her to him until her breath came short. "Paine. Paine. Paine."

7


	5. Chapter 5

2/22/07

**The Dynast**

**Chapter Five**

Baralai carefully folded the letter from Paine and placed it in the file he had started for the investigation. So, Nooj was still having the mysterious hallucinations and was still prey to the blandishments of his past obsession. Paine seemed to have been able to handle the most recent occurence with her usual competence so there was no real reason to go back to Mushroom Rock Road although it might be worthwhile to suggest they move to the old Youth League headquarters at Kilika. The white haired man made a note to himselft to check out the accomodations there when he visited Dona.

He had received word from Besaid that both Yuna and Lulu were in residence and would be there for the next several weeks so a trip to the island was next.

Baralai leaned back in his massive armchair. The more he thought about his conjecture, the most probable it seemed. The letter from Paine only added to the small collection of data which pointed in a certain direction. Well, time enough for testing once he had amassed more information. He sighed deeply and dropped his head into his hands. It was not going to be easy - none of it.

-X-

In spite of his intentions and the urgency he felt, it was almost a week before Baralai was able to extricate himself from his duties at Bevelle and make his way to Besaid. He had been able to commandeer the Celsius for the journey but that did not quite make up for the time he felt he had lost. During the airship passage, he reviewed his notes and replayed in his mind the last interview with Paine, just before he had left Mushroom Rock Road.

"Tell me what has bothered you lately." Baralai laid a reassuring hand on his friends arm.

"I know a woman feels funny things during the time she is carrying. I've had two pregnancies and know most of the games the body plays at these times but ..." Paine hesitated and a vivid tide of color washed her cheeks.

The man turned his face away so as not to embarrass her further and waited.

"This is the first time I've felt like nothing was worth it, like the best thing to do would be to throw myself off a cliff or cut open my belly. I've had these feelings that the best thing I could do for my baby is to spare it being born." She covered her face with her hands and her shoulders shook. "Baralai, you know that's not like me. That's not the way I think."

"No. You have never been one to give up. That's for sure. How long do these feelings last?" He maintained his dispassionate doctor's tone.

"Not too long. They seem to hit like the flat of a sword and then vanish ... the trouble is I don't know when or where they are going to come. Nooj is confused by my moods and I don't blame him. I'm confused!" She shook her head angrily and glared at the opposite wall.

"Anythiing besides the depression and thoughts of suicide?"

"Yes, anger. Sometimes I'm angry at myself for being in this condition. Sometimes I want to castrate Nooj and sometimes I hate this thing growing inside me."

"You never had any of these feelings before?"

"Never. I was always proud and happy to be bearing the children we wanted and loved. Sure, sometimes I was tired and frustrated, especially towards the ends of the times, but I never felt this sick despairing ... horror. Baralai, I'm scared I might harm the child." Her voice shook.

Baralai reached in his sleeve and brought out a small packet wrapped in slick paper and tied with an intricate knot. "Here, take these. They're some capsules I put together last night after you first mentioned some problems. They'll help you fight against these impulses if they return. You did say they had stopped?"

"Yes, but since what happened to Nooj, I've been scared they'll start up again. Do you think it might be a good idea to go on holiday? We've been talking about a trip - the whole family - to the Moonflow."

He considered for a few moments, "I have a feeling it would be better for you to stay put in familiar surroundings for a little while yet. I have some ideas in my head about a place you might want to consider moving before this baby is born. Let me brood on it a little longer. And try not to worry about the bad feelings coming again. At the first sign of them, take one of the capsules and lie down and try to sleep. You will not harm yourself and your child." He emphasized the last sentence gravely. "You are too strong for that. Believe me."

Baralai hoped he had been right in his advice and encouragement. It was difficult for a male practitioner to penetrate those areas of the psyche which were the exclusive province of women. He hoped Lulu could be of guidance in that respect. He was jolted from his meditations by the impact of the ship settling down on the smooth sand of the beach. Well, he would soon see what that wise lady had to say.

-X-

Lulu artfully arranged her skirts around her and reclined gracefully against the back-rest behind her. "Are you sure you've had enough? I have some fresh and beautiful fruit to hand. Our crops have been unusually successful this year."

"Thank you, dear Lulu. I'm as full as a tick and will be busy processing this feast for some hours yet. This island is, indeed, the land of plenty. Do you have to import anything these days?"

"Just a few manufactored items. We don't do heavy industry here, you know. But we have managed to become quite self-sufficient in food and fabrics and most of the common needs of life. Without the need to constantly rebuild what we had, we've been able to keep expanding. Peace has proved to be better for commerce than war ever was." She laughed her soft laugh which. he remembered, always had a way of brightening a room. "I'm sorry Wakka is away. He could explain our economy much better than I. I'm afraid these days, I am a lazy wretch and spend most of my time playing with my offspring."

Lulu was far too courteous to ask his reason for being on Besaid. Baralai smiled to himself. Anyone who thought the similarity in eye colour betokened a blood relationship between Lulu and Paine need only spend a little time with each woman to know that was a non-starter. Lulu was suave and subtle where Paine was openly transparent. The two were bookends to the encyclopedia of females. It occured to Baralai that switching the two couples: Paine and Nooj, Lulu and Wakka - would produce a comedy worth the price of admission. He stifled the notion and got down to business.

"I asked you to receive me because you are far more accomplished in the understanding of attack magic and ... well, because you are a woman who has borne children."

She nodded and smiled happily. "Three."

"Tell me, did you have any strange feelings when you were with child, any of the times?"

"Strange feelings?' She let out a peal of laughter. "Oh my goodness, yes! I wanted to eat the oddest things and shopped until I fell down exhausted only to return everything to the stores the next day. I bullied poor Wakka into showing me how he threw the ball and into re-enacting all his best games. And, I can't even begin to remember all the irrational things I felt and did. Why do you ask?"

"You ever have any dark thoughts or feelings? Suicide or murder?" He was serious and solemn.

"Not that I recall. Oh, I may have told Wakka I would kill him for doing this to me during some of the more awkward times, but it was just in joking."

"You never had feelings of despair you couldn't control? You've tended other women in pregnancy? Right? It is usual for them to be afflicted with evil and violent impulses?" Baralai leaned forward, his hands tightly gripping one another.

"I think you had better tell me what you're talking about." Lulu sat upright and all humour disappeared from her expression. "You are being mysterious for no reason. I won't betray any confidences you trust me with, you know that."

He sighed. "I know. It's just hard to get out of the habit of keeping my mouth shut even when I'm in a consultation. The truth is Paine has had some alarming experiences lately and I don't know enough about strictly women's health to know if it's serious or not." He closed his eyes to focus his memory and related the conversation between himself and Paine. When he looked again, Lulu was pale.

"No. That's nothing like I ever felt and like nothing I've ever heard of. Are there any Black Mages around her? It sounds like a spiritual attack unrelated to the pregnancy."

"She's been in the compound at the old Youth League headquarters the whole time. They don't go in for magic much there; it's all study and thinking. They rely for protection on machina guards and some remnants of the old Warrior class who stayed true to Nooj through all the upheaval."

"Nobody new has showed up?" She pressed.

"Not that I know of. Let me tell you the rest of the story and what I'm thinking might be the truth." Baralai laid out the situation concerning the odd attacks on Nooj and finished by telling her what he feared.

"I wouldn't be at all surprised if you're not right. How awful," Lulu exclaimed when he was done and she had taken a moment to absorb the dismaying scenario he had laid out. "When is the baby due?"

"In about three months, if I'm counting right."

"What are you planning to do? You need to take care of this before it's born."

"I have a vague plan taking place but I had to make sure I wasn't jumping at shadows, you know? I'm going to need some help. Will you join me?"

"Of course. Do you want me to go ahead? And you'd better talk to Yuna, too."

He white haired man held out his hand in gratitude. "Thank you, Lulu. I knew I could count on you. No. Stay here until I talk to Dona and get her advice on the location. I have every intention of talking to Yuna. Is she able to leave Tidus without too much disruption?"

"Yes. She has more help than any other woman on the island and can confidently leave her children with relatives and Tidus? I'll arrange for Wakka to take him along on some scouting trips. He's still devoted to blitzball even if he's a little old to play professionally anymore. I'll go to Yuna when you have explained the matter to her, unless you want me to come along with you. Then we'll wait until we hear from you or Dona. Will that suit?"

"Admirably, my dear. And I think I had better see Yuna alone to begin with. I need to make sure it's my logic that convinces her if anything does. Thank you for your advice and support." Baralai made a deep bow over her hand, sweeping back the tails of his coat in an extravagant gesture.

-X-

When he emerged from the dim interior of the tent, Baralai paused for a moment to let his eyes adjust and to survey all the changes which had come to the Besaid Village in the time between his visits. He had not spared the time to look around on his arrival, being eager to learn if Lulu would find his suspicions valid and join with him in his effort to put things right. Now, he needed to process her statements and arrange his mind for the visit with Yuna. Lulu had been more receptive than he had dared hope but would Yuna believe him? He had always been in awe of her and her mission.

The village had more than doubled in the past decade and more solid structures were beginning to replace the flimsy buildings. It was practical to build more strongly now that Sin was a fear of the past and dwellings did not have to be light enough not to kill when they collapsed nor cheap enough to rebuild so often. He nodded with satisfaction and turned to look down the slope to the former Yevon temple.

Since the temple had always been the most substantial building on the island, the inhabitants had sensibly decided not to raze it when Yevon's power declined. Instead it had been turned into a community center where meetings of all sorts were held, the children were schooled in letters and citizenship and indoor performances were accomodated. Because she was still a Summoner and had the power of Sending, Yuna and Tidus had been offered an apartment within the walls and now lived on the ground floor in spacious accomodations. It was to that destination that Baralai now directed himself.

He privately hoped to find Yuna alone. It was always easier for him to talk to one person at a time; he had never been comfortable speaking to groups. He slowed his walk as he neared the wide steps, stopping for a moment to take note of the number of children wandering about. Was this a recess day? No, it seemed they were all intent on various errands, picking fruit, pruning hedges, carrying parcels and shepherding younger children along. There was a constant passage of young ones in and out of the tall heavy doors which led into the former sanctuary. This seemed to be a part of their education. Baralai supposed different things must be learned in different cultures. The skills needed in Luca would not be the same as those required on an agricultural island. With a wry twist of his mouth, he realized he was purposely delaying his visit to the Summoner and walked more briskly into the great anteroom.

Lulu had told him that Yuna was to be found in the chambers to the left hand side as he faced the inner staircase. He observed that area was free of the lively traffic which took up much of the rest of the ground floor. As he approached the curtained doorway, Yuna herself emerged, slim and graceful as the girl she had been.

"Baralai! I'm so glad you found me. I've been waiting for you." She held out her hands and warmly drew him toward her. Up close, he could see that she had matured. There were small wrinkles at the edges of her eyes and her brow was no longer as smooth as it once had been. But the lines in her face were those of peace and serenity. She was, paradoxically, more beautiful than ever.

For a short time, Baralai just held her hand and looked at her. Finally, as the silence was becoming awkward, he spoke, "Lady Summoner, it may be improper for me to say this, but you are the soul of springtime. You make me believe in immortality." He bend and kissed her palm then made the old prayer gesture toward her.

Yuna blushed and briefly hid her face in confusion. "Oh, my friend, you need not call me by such titles or show me such honour. I am only Yuna, your old traveling companion, and we share too many memories to stand on ceremony. Come in and tell me what brings you to our little island. Surely, you're not coming on state business."

"No, my lady, I am here to tell you a strange story and ask your advice about how to heal a mutual friend, one we both respect." He settled down in the couch she indicated and accepted the cup of tea she offered. "I am here as a Healer, not a bureaucrat."

"I had heard you were now a full Healer and I had expected to find you a Doctor by this time."

"I did the studies for the degree but never had the time - so far - to take the examinations. I had no idea you were following my career."

"I'm curious to know how all our team has fared since the end of our great adventure. Which of us is in need, Nooj?" She leaned forward.

"How did you guess?" Baralai raised his brows.

"He was always the most fragile of us. In spite of his size and strength, he's always lacked the central core the rest of us had to keep us steady. He never believed in anything except Death and that's no firm ground to support you when the troubles come. What has set its sights on him this time? The last I heard, he and Paine were living together and had a small family." Yuna seemed to look within herself. "If anything could heal his heart, it would be children. And Paine's love. Tidus and I have a daughter and she has been all the world to us."

For some reason, Baralai still felt a hesitancy in beginning his story. He was reluctant to break the delicate peace which Yuna had created with her words and actions. Sitting here with her was like being inside a crystal globe in which no evil or harm could exist. The air was clear and silent and yet seemed to vibrate with the silvery sound of small bells. He felt safe, content, preserved for so long as he did not bring the infections of the outside world within. Time slowed and when Yuna raised her head to look into his eyes, it seemed to take an eternity. His own hand, raising the cup to his lips, was a floating object whose movement was to be measured in discrete increments. Was this what being a Summoner meant, this ability to cast the spell of containment? He wanted to stay here forever, forget his duties, find here his rest.

He drew his breath deeply into his lungs and felt the sense of fearful panic fade for the first time since he had faced his suspicions. The calm settled over his mind and he found himself believing that the problem - all the problems - could be solved.

"Do you feel better now?" Yuna's soft and musical voice carressed his ear.   
"You looked so tired and worried. Can you bring yourself to tell me now what has befallen our poor friend?"

"Yes. Thank you. I came to tell you, to tell you everything. Thank you." Baralai took a hearty swallow of his tea and began with his arrival at the Mushroom Rock Road.

When he had finished, she sighed. "How frightened he must be. He hates above anything to lose control." She looked with brimming eyes at her hands, twisted in the long extensions of her sleeves. "Before you ask, no, I never had any experiences like Paine when I was with child. Her report does fit in with what you are thinking." She blushed at the indelicacy of discussing such things with an unmarried man - even a Healer.

He waited, sensing she had more to say to him.

She went on, "I think you've pegged it right that Paine is no longer in danger, at least not right now. Have you told her and Nooj about your theory?"

"Baralai shook his head. "No. I didn't want to mention it until I checked out some things and verified as much as I could."

"I can see your reasoning. Well, you're going to have to bring it up eventually, you know." Yuna smiled ruefully and sipped from her cup. "Do you want me to be there when you do? If your thoughts are right, you're going to need me to help you take care of this."

"You and Dona both, I think. I'm going to see her next. When I get everything squared away and set up, may I send for you? I'm not going to worry Nooj until I have to so I need to get all my research done before I talk to him. Will you be here for a while?"

"I expect so. ... One other thing I just remembered. There is a book stored in the catacombs under Bevelle which might be of help to you. An old man named Maechen told me about it and gave me a map to its location." She rose and went over to a tall chest partially hidden behind a wall hanging. "Here." She handed him an envelope, worn and scuffed. "If you have time, check this out."

"I am grateful for your assistance and advice, my lady." He carefully stowed the paper away in an inner pocket. "Knowledge is power in cases like this. Now, I must rush to Kilika before Dona disappears on one of her adventures. May I give her your greetings?"

"You certainly may. And tell her I look forward to working with her again." Yuna suddenly reached up and embraced the white-haired Healer. "Baralai, my dearest friend, you take care of yourself. Remember you have had your own endangerments in the past. Guard yourself carefully. Do you have the proper amulets?"

He bowed over her hand again. "I am as protected as a man can be, dear lady. You honour me with your concern. I shall send for you as soon as I am ready to make my move."

"And I shall be waiting, ready to answer your call. Lulu and I will come together so you need send only one message. We'll be thinking of any other necessities for this venture. So don't fret your mind about this end of the preparations."

Baralai left the former temple with a far lighter heart than he had entered it. Two of his three consultants had believed and joined him. He could make do with only them but Dona would add a layer of security which he hoped to have. Kilika awaited.

-X-

And in another part of the world a tall man wondered if he was finally to be permitted to die.

10


	6. Chapter 6

3/8/07

A/N: All times are approximate. Baralai is not keeping a calendar as he rushes around Spira trying to multitask.

**The Dynast**

**Chapter Six**

From the sky, Kilika looked like a disturbed ant-hill. Small dark figures scurried everywhere, clogging the boardwalks and spilling over into the small boats which were continually putting out to sea and returning to tie up at the many piers. Additional walkways had been constructed since Baralai had last been to the village and the sprawling outpost had begun to take on the look of a minor metropolis.

When the air ship set him down at the main entrance, the Praetor felt the warm air hit him like a padded cudgel. He shucked off his heavy outer coat with its thickly embroidered lapels and slung it over his shoulder. Most of the male inhabitants he saw were wearing some variation of sarongs or loosely fitted cut-off pant and vests. The women wore even less and gleamed with the light coat of sweat which seemed universal among the inhabitants. Many of the children playing on the walkways were as naked as on the day of their birth and browned like bits of toast.

Baralai did not go immediately toward Dona's domicile, deciding to check out the never occupied headquarters of the Youth League first. When he reached the place from which it was possible to look out over the waters he was surprised to see that other coral reefs which had broken the surface of the sea were now also the bases of other buildings of varying heights. The old Youth HQ was still a splendid and graceful edifice but it was dwarfed by some of the more recent structures.

"Is that place being used?" He pointed toward the spiral structure.

The man at the telescope concession shook his head. "It belongs to some absent landlord who never moved it or rented it out. Want to take a look? It's cheap?"

Placing a few coins in the man's hand, Baralai applied his eye to the instrument. The building looked intact, if somewhat littered with wind-blown debris. He could see no structural damage and it did not appear as if squatters had made a home there.

"No word on who owns it or what they plan to do with it?"

"Nah. They say the old priests build it to hide in when things got too hot, but they were offed before they could get here. So ... there it sits. We could use it; we don't have enough space as it is."

"Yes, I can see. Business must be good."

"We ship fish and stuff all over Spira and holiday tourists keep coming." The man grinned. "You here for a holiday?" He gestured at the coat. "Didn't read up on the climate? You need to get some thinner stuff to wear."

"You're right about that." The white haired man waved and wandered off in the direction of Dona's house. He was bemused by the number of children rushing past him and thought that it was of a piece with his visits to other localities. Spira was rapidly rebuilding its population now that the regular predations of Sin were no more. He supposed it was a good thing but it did make the world very noisy.

He remembered roughly where Dona and Barthello had made their home and assumed they would still be there. When he neared the location, the sound of a honeyed voice raised in a not-so-sweet rant confirmed his deductions.

"Why did you leave my materials bag open? You knew those brats would start pulling things out. You could have locked the door at least."

A low pitched mumble like a distant volcano responded. Baralai could not make out the words but apparently Dona could. Practice perhaps.

"Well, you could have wedged the door shut. You know how to do that don't you?" The door in question slammed weakly against its flimsy framework and the tall Summoner herself appeared, her fists clenched and her brow furrowed.

"Ah, Lady Dona - I'm glad to find you at home." Baralai thought it best to start as conventionally as possible.

The dark woman spun around, her lemon-coloured garments flashing in the sunlight. "Who? Oh Baralai, it's you. I told you I'd be here for a while. I did send you a message, didn't I? Or did that buffoon forget to dispatch it?"

"No, no. I got the message. I was just expressing my pleasure in seeing you again. It's been a long time."

Dona rested her hand on her hip and surveyed her guest. They were much of a height, so she could stare directly into his eyes. "You're looking well. Older of course, but still looking well. Not married yet? Any prospects?"

The Praetor laughed with real delight. She was still the Lady Dona he had known back when troubles lay on the land. He did not think she would ever be very different. Seemingly ageless, she was beautiful in her exotic way, her skin still smooth and gilded from her life on a sunblessed island, her dark eyes slanted in her face and her long black hair as glossy and thick as ever. And from the way her clothes skimmed her body, she had lost none of the glory of her lush shapeliness.

"You said you had something you needed to talk to me about. Come in." She flung the door open, letting it bounce off the inner wall and gestured with a sweep of her arm. "Barthello! Pour us some rum!"

In the dimness of the interior, it was at first difficult to make out details. Three ceramic mugs appeared on the bamboo table, as though by magic, before Baralai was able to adjust his eyes sufficiently to identify the solid figure standing opposite him. Like Dona, Barthello had changed hardly at all. He was still huge and square. His face was still defined by a series of straight lines - one for the brows, another slightly lower for the small, squinting eyes, then the flat tip of the nose and finally the immobile mouth. Baralai thought again how much the man resembled a child's drawing of a machina-robot. He stifled his amusement and bowed courteously.

"Barthello, I am very glad to see you still healthy and strong."

The other bent his head a fraction of a degree and grunted. With his massive arms folded over the straps of his harness, it was as though the stump of a great tree had shifted in recognition. From past experience, Baralai knew that was all the acknowledgement he would get. Dona's mate was not a man of many words. Then, suddenly Barthello made the Yevon prayer gesture toward him. Baralai was astonished and Dona lifted a brow.

"He was a follower of New Yevon back before the Unity." She indicated a chair. "Sit down, Praetor, and tell me what it's all about." Dona was not hesitant to speak. Her throaty voice throbbed like a cello.

"Lady Dona ..." he began, only to be interrupted.

"I'm Dona, you know. No titles anymore."

He nodded. "Very well, Dona. Something has happened to Nooj and I need your advice and help."

She rested her head on her hand. "I'm not that surprised. He was always a walking invitation to disaster. You can't go around flirting with Death and not expect to get some responses. What's going on?"

"I'm not completely sure. In the past few days I've talked to Lulu and Lady Yuna and they agree with my tentative thoughts. But I could not be sure until I've talked to you. Will you hear me out and tell me your thoughts?"

"Of course. With no Pilgrimages left, life gets dull and I'm ready for a new story." She sat up straighter in her chair and downed her cup of rum. Barthello moved with surprising quickness for so large a man and refilled it.

Baralai took a sip from his own mug and had to supress his shudder at the potency of the brew. "Here is what has happened ..."

When he had completed his tale, the woman opposite him was still for a long time. He watched the thoughts chase themselves across her intelligent face as she considered what he had said. Finally, she spread her long fingers out on the table and, watching them shift restlessly, began to speak.

"Let me start by saying that I have never had a child so I can't say whether Paine's experiences are typical. Lulu and Yuna know best about that. As for the rest of it, yes, I think you're on the right track. I've never heard of anything like this before but the entire episode is unique so we would be unlikely to have had this happen. One thing concerns me - why don't you think you're in danger too? After all, you were a part of this and I would think that fact would make you worry. Are you sure you're all right?"

"I think there is a difference which gives me protection - several differences. I am not in a relationship which offers a spot from which I can be attacked, my infestation was relatively short-lived and I am not a Deathseeker, not even inclined to be one. I think this makes me immune, at least I have been so far." He smiled grimly. "I'm taking precautions by maintaining a cheerful spirit."

Dona let out a burst of laughter. "That's probably as good a protection as any. Keep smiling and ward off whatever this is. Really, Baralai, do you have any clear idea of what it is and how it came to be?"

"Only a sort of itch in the back of my mind. Lady Yuna told me about a book in the Bevelle underground which might have some leads. I'm going to hunt it out as soon as I get home. Something is going to have to be done even if the book's a dead end. Will you help me when the time comes?"

The Summoner looked gravely down at her fingers again. "Yes. I will. I was never close to Nooj but he's a brave man and has been willing to give his life to save Spira, not just once but over and over. He's governed wisely and well and set our world on a road to prosperity. I owe him, we all owe him. I'll wait here until you call me. Don't wait too long. Things could go very wrong very quickly, you know."

"I know. Thank you, Dona. I feel much more secure with you on the team. Now, I must hope the air-ship is still waiting. No! Wait! I almost forgot! Who owns the old Youth League Headquarters out in the bay?"

She raised her brows. "I guess I do as much as anybody. I was the last leader of the League here. When Sin and Vegnagun were done away with and the various factions unified, there was no need for it as a base ... so we just let it sit. Why?"

"I want to bring Nooj and his family here where they can be under watch and cared for until I have decided exactly what to do. Is the place habitable?"

"Yes, it's a little dusty and it'll need some better furnishings but that's easy enough. Barthello and I will take care of that. It'll keep me from brooding and will give that one over there something to do to keep his muscles pumped up. Leave it to us. When do you want it ready?"

"When you can. I have a feeling things are very perilous right now. Will you send me word when you're done?" He held out his hand in farewell.

"Yes. It should take about a week or a little more. I'll put some of the old League members to work on it too." Dona walked with him out on the terrace. "Kilika has become quite the port now that the seas are safe again. We're going to have to go on expanding like one of those fish which must grow or die."

"I can see how you've grown already. This isn't a bit like the sleepy place I first knew."

"And Nooj gets the credit for more than might be thought. That's part of the reason I care about saving him, even from himself."

"As do we all." Baralai hugged her to him and thought a quick prayer from the old days.

-X-

Nooj had withdrawn in the past week, seeming hardly conscious of the presence of others in the enclave. At night, he lay beside Paine, as rigid as the sculptured effigy on a Crusader's tomb, unmoving and open-eyed. During the daylight hours, he spoke less and less until he was rarely heard at all and responded to most questions with a gesture. He did not read nor spend time on research or papers but was most often to be found sitting staring into a nothingness visible only to his gaze.

Paine had picked up her pen more than once to write to Baralai, advising him of conditions as they were developing. However, since there had been no more obviously alarming events, she could not justify to herself complaining because her lover was not responding to her. There might be many reasons, not all of them earth-shaking, for that.

She had passed into the sixth month of her pregancy and was beginning to show more clearly the heaviness of body and and mis-shapen silhouette common to her condition. As the seventh month approached, she was eager for it to be over so that she could turn her attention to re-establishing the life she had treasured and now missed.

It was as well Paine was not a witness to the times Nooj drew his dagger from its sheath. The blade was so sharp as to be almost capable of cutting at a thought and its owner sat and looked into the nearly imperceptible edge for long periods, feeling more strongly each time the impulse to draw that edge across his wrist or his throat. He sensed that if he laid the point against the location of his heart, it would take only the lightest pressure to slide it into that steadily pounding organ and still it with no pain at all. That he did not yield to the temptation was inexplicable to him. Such darkness possessed him and the escape was so simple, he could not explain to himself why he did not avail himself of the opportunity without further delay. Yet, something held him back, kept him captive to an existence without purpose or joy. Each day was an awakening to a fresh despair; why did he continue to wake?

-X-

"Send Pacce to me." Baralai issued the instructions to his aide after he had read and considered the contents of the envelope Yuna had given him.

The scribbled notes written in a small cramped hand on the map were intriguing. If the book they alluded to lived up to the suggestions set down, it would be invaluable to his understanding of the danger menacing Nooj. He reached for a magnifier to make sure he had read the words correctly when a knock came at the door.

"Come in," he called expecting to see the youth he had summoned. Instead a dusty courier limped toward his desk, holding out a sealed and ribboned package.

It had been more than a week since the Praetor had returned to Bevelle. In spite of his eagerness to attend to the situation foremost in his mind, he had been delayed by the duties of his office. Things have a way of piling up when a leader is absent. So he was not very surprised to note that this latest communique was from Kilika. Dona was a miracle of efficiency when she set her mind to it. The residence for Nooj and his family was ready, all burnished and redecorated with appropriate furniture and amenities. A staff had been assigned to maintain the household and the Mevyn and his menage could move in whenever they wished. Dona had even found an experienced midwife and a team of doulas to live in and supervise Paine's pregnancy.

Baralai breathed a sigh of relief. That was one major step forward. He would feel much better once everyone was under Dona's expert eye. He called his secretary and dictated a quick note to Nooj, advising him to immediately leave for the Kilika location. Then, upon second thought, he sent a separate message to Paine, telling her the same thing. It never hurt to be overly cautious.

"_You will find the accomodations on Kilika more congenial for our further attempts to clear up this matter. I am making great progress in discovering where the problem lies and will join you at the Youth League HQ within the fortnight. Be assured that the end of this problem is near and I expect a completely successful outcome."_

Baralai read the transcriptions, hoped he was not arousing hopes he could not fulfill and signed his name to both letters. When his personal seal had been affixed, he passed them over to the waiting messenger with instructions to see that they were delivered as quickly as possible. That done, he made another entry onto the list before him. He must find the book, make sure it fulfilled his expectations, wrap up the next few weeks' duties here at Bevelle and then set out for Kilika and the closure of this episode. When he looked up, Pacce was standing patiently before his desk.

"Ah, Pacce. I have heard that during your internship here, you have made a study of the area beneath the sub-basements."

"Yes, my lord. I was given permission to explore down there during my off-time."

Baralai smiled at the earnest young man, once leader of the Kinderguardians, now apprentice to the governing body of Bevelle. "I need your help and I think your knowledge will be of use. Take a look at this map and tell me if you know the place."

He spread the faded sheet of parchment out on the table between them.

Pacce flushed with excitement. "Yes, my lord. I know exactly where that is! It's at the end of the corridor where that balcony branches off. I know the way, straight as a road."

"Then let us go." The Praetor clapped the youth on his back and steered him to the door. The game was afoot.

9


	7. Chapter 7

3/13/07

**The Dynast**

**Chapter Seven**

When Baralai set foot on the main boardwalk of Kilika, he was considerably more confident than he had been the last time he was there. Even the weather was co-operating. A brisk breeze off the sea mitigated the tropical heat and made the fragrances of fruit and flowers intoxicating rather than suffocating. He easily spotted the figure of Dona waiting for him. She had a way of effortlessly clearing a space for herself in the densest crowd and the inhabitants of her home-town knew better than to get in her way.

"Well, you're looking better. Got everything straightened out?" She greeted him without ceremony, taking his arm to steer him through the bustling groups of merchants and fishermen. "I've got a ferry waiting to take us over to the castle."

"The Castle?" Baralai smiled. "Is that what you're calling it now?"

"It fits. It's a huge place with high ceilings and more rooms than a blitz tournament hotel. Yuna and Lulu got here yesterday and I put them up in one of the wings. Barthello and I have also moved in for the duration. If what you suggested is what you plan to do, we may need Barthello to handle Nooj, keep him from bolting."

"Bolting?"

"He's not very stable. You'll see." Dona closed her lips firmly.

"Are Jarl and the twins there too? I wondered if I ought to send them on to Rikku and Gippal for a while."

"No reason to. Like I said, there's plenty of room. We put together a nursery for the twins with some experienced maids and their regular nanny. Jarl has his own rooms. That boy is a prodigy. He's smarter than most of the grown men in this place. Looks like Nooj's genes bred true in that one." Dona, so rarely impressed by anyone, seemed genuinely awed by the young boy.

"He's grown up faster than most. With Paine and Nooj as parents, I guess he had to. Have you had a chance to consult with Lady Yuna and Lulu?" He did not want to have to retell his plans more often than necessary.

"Yes. We had a session last night. By the way, Paine is getting nervous about what's going on. She didn't expect to have so many people gathering around."

"I intend to explain things as soon as I settle in and get my thoughts in order. How is Nooj taking it? You said he was unstable."

Dona sighed. "I'm not really sure he's aware of anything. You just need to see him and judge for yourself. I don't want to prejudice you but he's not well. I almost didn't recognize him except for the - you know - the parts."

"That bad? I hurried as much as I could. How's Paine, aside from nerves?"

"She's getting near her due date and looks a little worn out. Too much worry, not enough rest. I've got a motherly housekeeper over there who's been told to take as much as possible off Paine's back and to make her lie down in the afternoons. The birthing team is also on alert."

While talking, they had reached the wharf which served the tapering structure. A flat-bottomed boat was there with a poleman waiting patiently for them to appear. With a quick leap, he scooped up Baralai's baggage and offered a hand to help them to their seats under the striped sun-shade.

Dona folded her long legs and asked, "Are you planning to explain what's going on to all of us or do you want to tell Nooj and Paine privately first?"

Her companion frowned in concentration. "I had planned to tell them and then consult with you and the others but if Nooj has deteriorated so much, I don't think I'd better take the time. I'll talk to everybody at once, right after lunch. Does that sound right?"

"Yes. I think that'll do. Well, here we are. Welcome to the Castle."

-X-

Paine was waiting in the reception room. When she turned to face the two who entered, Baralai had to repress a gasp of shock. She was not the same woman he had last seen at Mushroom Rock Road. Her skin was sallow and puffy, her hair seemed more grey than it had been and there was a droop to her posture he had never seen before. When she rushed to embrace him, he could feel the swollen belly rub against his side and was seized with compassion. What had these weeks of worry done to a woman already stressed by the strains of pregnancy? He held her gently, stroking her back, sensitive to the knotted muscles he felt there.

"Dear Paine, I'm here and things will get better. Don't worry any more. I'm sorry I've been so long." He kept murmuring the same soothing words over and over. She did not cry, only leaned against him like one exhausted to the point of collapse.

"Mama, let him go now." Jarl's voice cut through the moment. "He's here and it will be all right now." The boy reached up to tenderly tug at his mother's hand. "Come sit down, come on, mama."

The Praetor helped lead the unsteady woman to the most comfortable looking chair in the room. Once she was settled, Jarl picked up a rug and laid it over her legs, carefully smoothing it across her bulging abdomen and kneeling by her side, his head against her hip.

"My mother is a little tired, Uncle 'Lai. She's not usually this upset."

"It's all right, my boy. I understand. Do you know where your father is?" Baralai could almost hear his heart break at the lad's courage and dignity.

"He's in the library. Do you want me to take you there?"

"No, I'll find my way. You stay with your mother. Thank you for the offer."

Without a word, Dona touched his sleeve and drew him away to the stairs. On the second floor, she silently pointed toward a double door to the right.

Behind that door was a dimly lit room lined with books. At the far end a floor to ceiling window half-covered with heavy curtains framed the figure of a man. Only the presence of the metal cane told Baralai that the man was Nooj.

He had lost a great deal of weight and seemed to find the machina limbs a nearly insurmountable burden. Slumped over his cane, he appeared to have aged in the past six weeks. When he lifted his head to face Baralai, he presented a pale haggard visage to the appalled Praetor. His only colour lay in the hectic flush high on his cheekbones. His lips were rough and chapped and his eyes deeply recessed into their sockets yet burning with an ominous fire behind the lenses of his spectacles.

"Nooj?" Baralai cried out.

"I am Nooj." The stooped man answered. "Do you no longer know me?" The voice was cracked and breaking from disuse.

Baralai cursed himself inwardly for not coming sooner. He could have put aside some of his duties in Bevelle in order to attend to his friend's safety. How had things managed to fall apart so quickly?

"I know you, my old friend. I have come to tell you that your ordeal is near its end. Let me call the others and I'll explain. Will you hear me?"

What might have been intended as a smile and instead looked more like a rictus, distorted Nooj's features. "I will hear you. I have no other choice."

-X-

Chairs and couches had been pulled into a sort of circle and lamps had been lit in the corners of the room, casting a golden glaze over the seven individuals gathered to consult together. Baralai looked around him at the ones he had summoned to hear his explanation. All seemed almost desperately attentive, leaning forward toward him except for Nooj, who seemed too exhausted and defeated to care and Barthello who slouched against the wall just outside the reach of the light. Paine had recovered somewhat and reclined on the couch, hope illuminating her face, her hands tightly clasped.

"I am sorry to have taken so long to ferret out what I believe is the truth. All here know about the mysterious malady which has struck our strongest warrior in the battles for Spira. I am nearly certain I know what the genesis of this attack is. You will remember that during the Crimson Squad debacle, some of us encountered the revenant spirit of Shuyin in the Den of Woe. You will recall he took possession of Nooj and maintained that possession for a little more than two years when he chose to transfer to my body and tried to kill his former host. He was dispelled, so we thought, during the Vegnagun event, sent to his rest along with his great love, Lenne. We thought that was the end of it. We were wrong."

He paused to take a sip from the glass at his side and glanced around at his audience. He saw no real surprise on any face, only the intensity of the questioning gazes fixed on him.

"I was first led to this conclusion by the fact the Paine suffered the infliction of an overwhelming sense of despair only during the earlier months of her pregnancy when the genetic material from Nooj would have been incompletely blended with her own contributions to the new child. Also, it was only after the malaise left Paine that Nooj became subject to its attentions. This pointed to a single entity moving from mind to mind. Those attentions took the form of making stronger that loneliness and longing for death which are such a strong component of his persona. But how could the evil influence of Shuyin have survived his Sending? We are taught from our earliest years that once Sent, the remnants of the dead are to be found on the FarPlane where they achieve their final incarnation. How could something so powerful as this force remain here?

"I first tested my hypothesis by making sure that Paine's experience had no correlation to a normal emotional reaction during pregnancy. I could find no evidence that it did. Nooj's observation of a shadowy presence just before his bouts with the horrors gave even more credence to the thought which was taking shape in my mind. I monitored myself to see if I, who had also been possessed by Shuyin, was aware of any similar feelings. I was not, so I concluded that the brevity of my experience and my physical distance from Nooj had protected me. Still, the pieces did not fit until I came into possession of this book." He lifted a tattered volume from the table .

"Yuna told me about its existence and I found it with the aid of one of my assistants. It is the journal of an unnamed Healer and Mystic who described a very similar event more than a century ago. He investigated and discovered the presence of something he called "Soul Shadows". He postulated them to be the residue of a malicious refusal to admit death on the part of a human who had duties unfinished at the time of his demise. Such a one summoned the will to maintain a part of his own being long past the time he should have either been Sent or become a Fiend. Such was the creature the author encountered in his day and such, I believe, was Shuyin. The power of the will is so strong that even after a Sending, a portion of the hungry soul remains and is able to inflict damage on the living, particularly those with whom it has a prior connection. This is the shadow Nooj saw and the unseen being which tried to destroy Paine earlier. It had focused on Nooj and followed his spoor to the weakest vessel it could find, the just conceived child. As the new baby began to become a different being from its father, Nooj himself became the target again."

Yuna sighed. "That's pretty much what I thought this was all about. Maechen dropped some hints but I wanted you to read the report with an open mind. If Sendings don't work, what can we do to get rid of this Soul Shadow?"

"There are some recommendations in the book which I will share with you and Dona. As Summoners, you two should be able to handle the incantations and materials. Since they are very powerful and dangerous, I'll give the information to you two privately." He hastened to add, "It's not that I have any distrust of any here but safety has its own demands."

Nooj straightened himself in his chair. "Why did the Soul Shadow wait so long? It's been more than ten years since Shuyin was Sent."

Baralai had to force himself to meet the other man's eyes. "I think it was waiting for an opportunity. It is determined to live ..."

"And I'm not." He said it flatly.

"The Shadow wants to live more than you do." Baralai answered in the same tone.

"And it is still infesting me?"

"Yes."

"You propose to expel and destroy it?"

"Yes. With the good offices of Ladies Yuna and Dona."

Nooj let his head drop against the chair back. "When?"

"As soon as we can prepare. I have waited too long already and you and Paine have suffered for it."

"Then let's get it over with. Paine, are you all right? Is this all clear to you?" He reached out a hand to her and she grasped it with both hers.

"Yes, my love. I'm ready to get this over with. Baralai, can it be done today?"

"If we try. Let's get a quick lunch and be on with it."

Dona stood. "I'll tell the cook. Baralai, you meet with Yuna and me in the salon and give us our orders while a meal is being readied. That way we won't lose any more time."

As they passed through the door, Paine drew Baralai aside so that they could talk without being overheard.

"Nooj didn't mean to make this mess. He couldn't have known something was lurking around."

The Praetor patted her gently on the arm. "I know that. He has a hard time suppressing his dark nature sometimes. But he loves you and the kids too much to have invited this."

She nodded. "I have to believe that. He promised me to live and he has not made any effort to go back on his word. Yes, I know he is ... as he is. He's fighting so hard not to be. Baralai, we have to make this work."

"We will. Have confidence in his basic strength of mind and character. It'll be all right." Impulsively, Baralai wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

-X-

The curtains were drawn and the members of the group had gathered again in the library where most of the furniture had been pushed against the walls to make room for a flat couch on which Nooj lay, his chest bared. Paine had insisted on being present and was curled up in a large armchair to one side. She observed the preparations as she stroked her swollen belly with absent tenderness.

Yuna and Dona were wearing the traditional Summoner garments since it had been decided that no part of the ceremony would be skipped lest that prove to be the essential bit necessary to drive out the dark presence. Lulu was in readiness in case anything went wrong. She periodically checked Paine's pulse and kept a careful eye on the pregnant woman. Barthello was stationed behind the head of the couch, prepared to supply any help he could.

Baralai held the old book open at the required section and stood near Nooj, watching him.

"Very well. Are we all certain of our parts?" He looked around at his team. "Nooj, are you comfortable?"

"Yes. Get on with it." The dark man deliberately relaxed his muscles and briefly closed his eyes. Paine made a small gulping sound and squeezed Lulu's hand harder than she realized.

"You sure you want to stay?" Lulu whispered into Paine's ear.

"Yes. I cannot leave him. He is my heart."

Yuna began a low chant, dipping her fingers into a small pot of a fragrant ointment and tracing patterns on the smooth skin of the man on the bed. She drew oily lines across his forehead and cheeks as well as his broad chest. When she had finished, she handed the jar to Dona who echoed the chant in a deeper, slower voice and marked other designs on the exposed skin. There was a moment of quiet as the two Summoners bowed to one another and in a precise reflection of one another took up each her staff. With another bow, the women positioned themselves on either side of the bed and began tracing in the air the same patterns they had drawn on Nooj's body. The atmosphere in the room seemed to thicken and darken and when the chants started, it was as though echoes made the two voices many.

Suddenly Paine cried out, shattering the spell. Lulu swept down at once.

"Baralai, her water's broken. The baby's coming."

"It's not time. Can you stop it?"

"Time or not, it's coming and, no, I can't stop it. Come, help me get her to the bedroom."

Nooj struggled to push himself up from the bed. "Paine! What's wrong? Are you all right?"

Baralai gave the pre-arranged signal to Barthello who immediately seized Nooj by the shoulders and pulled him down against the flat surface, holding him there easily.

"Let me up. I've got to see her!"

Baralai called back as he neared the door. "We're taking care of her. You have to stay here and complete the ceremony or it's all wasted. Nooj, listen to me for once in your life! Ladies, continue, please."

The two Summoners lifted their staffs and resumed their chanting. Barthello tightened his grip on the struggling Nooj and growled under his breath.

Lulu and Baralai half led, half carried Paine a door down the corridor to the room Nooj had claimed as a sleeping chamber for himself. Lulu snapped a series of orders to the maid who was tidying the scattered books and papers. Within moments, hot water and extra linens were being conveyed into the room by a steady stream of servants. The birthing team, led by the senior midwife assembled around the bed where Paine was moaning deep in her throat and clenching her teeth against louder cries.

"Go ahead, darlin'; yell if you need to." Lulu wiped Paine's face with a moistened cloth. "It's ok. Nobody can hear you through these heavy old doors. Make as much noise as you have to."

"Don't, don't let Nooj hear. It'll scare him." She gasped as she pulled at a twisted towel. Another contraction hit and she bit down on the cloth to stifle her scream.

Baralai leaned over to Lulu. "Do you want me to stay? I've never helped at a birth before."

"Damn right you stay!" she hissed at him fiercely. "You're needed more here than there. You can't Send but you can ease pain. I'm going to put some soothing spells around her; you knock the top off the sharp agonies."

The Praetor was sweating as he tried to remember the most effective charm against stabbing sensations in the abdomen. Gently he laid his hand on her convulsing belly and murmured what he hoped was the proper incantation. It must have been one of the right ones because she relaxed slightly under his touch.

In the library, Nooj continued to fight against the grasp of Barthello, swearing with surprising inventiveness. The Summoners began their gliding, turning dance, still chanting the words they had memorized from the old book.

Without warning, Nooj's body became rigid, arcing so that only his head and his heels touched the couch; his eyes rolled back and his mouth gaped as a grainy dark substance started to emerge from his orifices. The darkness gathered above him and took shape. Floating parallel to his form was a reflection in black with glittering incandescence where the eyes should have been and a grimacing flame for a mouth. It elongated itself and made menacing gestures toward the women who steadily kept on with their dancing and ritual movements. With a nearly audible shriek, the shadow stretched into a thread of light-swallowing darkness and began to probe at the door. Finding the keyhole, it pulled itself through and was gone.

As the shadow vanished, Nooj wrenched himself free of his constraints and pushed up from the couch. "My cane," he demanded and Yuna handed it to him, shaking her head as Barthello reached out to recapture his patient.

Once he could stand, Nooj headed for the corridor, bracing himself against the wall in order not to fall. He was slow and weak but determined to reach his goal.

Paine gave one final convulsive push and the crown of the baby's head emerged from her straining body to be followed quickly by the rest of the damp morsel of flesh. The mid-wife gathered the tiny creature in a clean towel and cut the cord as Paine fell back into the arms of her supporting doulas. As soon as the after-birth was delivered, they began sponging her clean of the stains of birth and re-making the bed with fresh linens while the midwife cared for the new-born.

"It's a girl!" A mewling cry assured those around the bed that life had survived the perilous passage from the womb to the world. Suddenly, to the horror of those watching, a sooty ribbon took shape and wrapped itself around the child, slipping into the open mouth and choking off the sound.

Lulu took the unmoving bundle from the shaking hands of the midwife. She turned back the blanket from the face and without speaking gestured with her head to Baralai.

The baby was staring up at the two Mages with an unmistakable look of malice. No innocence cast a merciful veil over the barely formed features. Instead, the eyes were slitted and the mouth twisted into a mask inhuman in its vicious anger. For a transitory moment, the tiny visage bore the imprint of the mature Shuyin as he had been - fierce, hate-filled and bent on revenge for the wrongs done him. It endured just for a moment then the pink mouth stretched wide again and a long howl shook the miniature form, quickly trailing off into another ominous quiet. The black thread emerged, coiled into itself and, with a oddly benign popping sound and a brief flare, vanished.

"She's not breathing!" Baralai bent over the swaddled infant.

"Here! Give her to me!" Lulu concentrated. "I can't get anything. There's nothing to call back. She's gone!"

Paine, from her pillows, reached up and plucked at Lulu's garments. She held out her arms in a voiceless demand. Tears seeping from her eyes, Lulu laid the motionless babe on its mother's breast then turned to bury her face in Baralai's shoulder.

Paine looked at her daughter with a loving gaze and traced the features with a gentle finger. She turned back the wrappings and counted the fingers and toes, wiggling them and kissing the soft, cooling flesh. "Her name is Polarok," she announced. "She is a great treasure, a gift." Looking down into the little face, she began humming a sort of lullaby.

The door crashed against the wall as Nooj burst through. He was staggering as he made his way toward the bed. "Paine, are you ...? The baby...?" He drew himself up short when he realized the significance of the scene before him. "Is it...?"

Baralai laid a brotherly hand on his arm and nodded. "We could not act in time. The Soul Shadow ..."

"Here? Our baby? Why?" A purely primeval howl erupted from the tall man's throat.

"Why does evil create evil?" Baralai tried to find the right words. "The thing knew it was being destroyed and it used the last of its power to strike one final blow. It went for the weakest, the least able to resist. But it's gone now. It's over."

Lulu stepped forward. "Paine is still alive. Nooj. You still have one another and your other children."

"It's gone?" Nooj lurched forward. "Paine, look at me. I'm here. We'll have more children. Paine!" Even to his own ears, his voice seemed to come from a far distant place.

She settled the swaddled bundle more comfortably against her breast. "Will we? Are you truly committed to more life?" Her words were as cool as her gaze.

He fell heavily to his knees at her side, dropping his face into his hands. He had no answer for her.

13


End file.
